Vermilion Moon
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Renji notices odd behavior on the part of his taichou and has strong reservations when Byakuya starts meeting with a strange, golden-eyed man. Renji/Byakuya...yaoi, some non-con (not graphic), mpreg. If you like spirit wolves and Renji/Byakuya, you will love this one!
1. Called

**Vermillion Moon**

**By Spunky0ne**

**(Happy Byakuya's birthday month! I don't remember who it was that asked for this storyline. It was a really long time ago, so forgive me for taking so very long to write it. It just took forever for the plot bunny to give me the full storyline. This is an angsty Renji/Byakuya story with some non-graphic non-con sex (If you want the MA version, it will be on AO3 later today or tomorrow.) and mpreg. It is very different from my other storylines, so dig in and enjoy!)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Called**

"This looks like a good spot, ne Taichou?" Renji queried, nodding in the direction of a small cave that overlooked the lonely, sandy valley they had come upon during their search, "Clear view, a little elevated, no hollows nearby...the only thing I _don't _like is that it's pretty close to some dangerous territory. East of here are the ruins of Las Noches and to the south, there's a restricted area known to be inhabited by hollow vamps and ookami seirei. I don't know which is more creepy. But they're both off for miles, so we should be fine."

"Yes," the noble agreed, flash stepping ahead to reconnoiter around the area of the cave.

He finished his assessment and nodded.

"It seems safe enough," he agreed, "but as the type of hollows to the south is so deadly and we aren't all that far off, we will use a reiatsu cage and take turns guarding."

"Fine by me," chuckled the redhead, "I don't know if I'll sleep anyway. Hollow vamps and ookami seirei? Damn. I'd sure hate to meet either of those in person."

"I agree," Byakuya said quietly, gazing at the south horizon, "The hollow vamps employ powerful hypnotic reiatsu that can overcome even taichou level shinigamis, and the spirit wolves can masquerade as one of us, then shift back and attack swiftly when one's guard is down."

"I'll just skip both, thanks," Renji said, taking out their ration packs and handing one to the noble. Byakuya raised the reiatsu concealing cage around them, then rested near the entrance to the cave while the redhead made hot tea, using a measured flare of kido. He handed one cup to Byakuya, then sat down next to his taichou and ate quietly as they looked off into the distance.

"So, what's going on with that moon?" Renji asked, looking up into the sky, "I've never seen a red moon before."

"I am not sure," Byakuya admitted, "I think the most probable explanation is distortions in the reiatsu in this area. Those distortions were enough that Kyouraku soutaichou felt we should search the area, so it is notable enough to cause unusual visual and other distortions."

"Hmmm," mused Renji through a mouthful of tea, "Just something else creepy to keep me from sleeping."

Byakuya fought off a smirk and shook his head.

"You are quite flighty tonight, aren't you? It must be that we weren't able to train today. You have too much pent up energy."

"Yeah, probably," Renji sighed, scratching the back of his neck, "or maybe those bad things out there just scare the pants off me."

"That is a good instinct," Byakuya noted wryly, "You are wise to be wary. Those creatures are not to be trifled with. That is why we have kept our distance from their territory."

"Right. Hey Taichou, you want me to take the first watch?" the redhead asked, "I'm probably not going to sleep anyway."

"I suppose that would make the most sense," sighed the noble, retreating to the back of the cave, lying down and pillowing his head on his pack. Amidst the reassuring protection of the reiatsu barrier and Renji's strong presence, he found it easy to drift off. He slept for several hours as the redhead knelt near the edge of the reiatsu, looking out at the oddly red moon.

"Just creepy," Renji whispered to himself, shaking his head and thinking again of how close they were to the domain of those dangerous hollows. As if to punctuate his thoughts, the lonely sound of a wolf's howl broke the stillness, sending a shiver down Renji's spine. His hand strayed to his sword and he strained his ears to pick up any sound of approaching hollows. The wind whistled by, outside the cave, and the blackness wore on.

_And unlike in our world, _Renji sighed inwardly, _there's no sunrise to look forward to...just this darkness. Man, I can't wait to go home. It isn't even just that this place is so freaky. And I do like spending time like this with Taichou. But we can't train together when we're on duty in enemy territory...not without special precautions. And we wouldn't train so close to this border._

He was drawn out of his thoughts by what sounded like scuffling footsteps, and his hand tightened around the hilt of his blade. He peered into the blackness, making his breathing silent.

_What is that?_

He remained silent and perfectly still as a shimmering, silvery wolf appeared outside the cave, his strange golden eyes glowing in the distance.

"Oh, kami, I am _so_ glad we put up that reiatsu barrier!" he breathed softly.

He looked back at Byakuya, but opted not to wake his sleeping taichou.

_The barrier will keep that thing out. They're strong, but they're not that strong._

The wolf moved closer, fixing its lovely, wild eyes on the redhead and freezing him in place.

_Shit, that's not good. Imagine if the barrier wasn't there..._

He wished then that he had roused the noble, if not just to reassure him they were safe inside the cave.

The silvery wolf moved forward, pausing at the barrier and gazing quietly at Renji with those strangely perceptive eyes. The redhead strained to make a sound, but remained mesmerized as the wolf's beautiful, furry body shimmered and slowly morphed into the shape of a tall, silver-haired and golden-eyed man who stood, looking in at him, then let his eyes stray to the sleeping taichou.

"Byakuya..." the ookami seirei said in a low voice that resembled a growl.

At the release of his name, Byakuya sat up, staring through haunted eyes, then climbing to his feet and walking past his frozen companion. He paused at the barrier, gazing raptly at the spirit wolf and waiting silently.

"It is our time," the man said, blinking slowly, "You are called, Byakuya, son of Kuchiki Soujun and Hisashi-sama!"

Renji blinked and stared, still unable to speak or move.

_But taichou's parents were Soujun and the lady Sorano!_

Byakuya shook his head slowly, frowning in confusion.

"I don't understand," he said, gazing through the barrier, "What are you saying?"

The man looked back at him calmly.

"Shatter the cage and come with me. I will not harm your subordinate as long as you cooperate."

Byakuya looked back at him a moment longer, then drew his sword.

"Begone," he said with deadly coldness, "or I will cut you down!"

The man's golden eyes glowed wickedly, filling with fire at the noble's refusal. He loosed an angry snarl and began to mouth a slew of words that the two shinigamis could not comprehend. As the words ended, the shield between the shinigamis in the cave and the spirit wolf shattered, leaving Byakuya and the tall man glaring into each other's eyes.

"TAICHOU!" screamed Renji, breaking free of the force that had been restraining him and drawing his sword.

The golden-eyed man uttered a few swift words and a rumble sounded all around the three. A blaze of light flashed from his hand and struck the redhead in the chest, throwing him back against the rock wall, where he collapsed to the cave floor, losing consciousness immediately.

"You pay for that!" Byakuya seethed, invoking his shikai and slashing at the other man.

As the petals closed around the man, his mouth opened and he loosed a howl like that of the wolf he had been before his transformation. The air swirled around him, stirring up the petals and sending them spinning away as he closed in on the noble. Byakuya fired a volley of kido blasts, then watched in dismay as the man's reiatsu swelled around him, fending off the strikes. The golden-eyed man reached out and grabbed the noble by the throat and glared down into his widened eyes as his other hand reached beneath the noble's clothing and found an oddly shaped birthmark, which he touched and infused with his reiatsu.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya asked, reeling as reiatsu exploded around them, and his legs slowly gave way.

The man's golden eyes gentled as he lowered Byakuya to the cave floor, then opened his clothing, baring him.

"S-stop! Don't...don't touch me!" the noble objected, struggling, but only being touched and gently stunned by the spirit wolf turned man.

"It is not your fault. What they did was necessary, given that your elders would have killed Soujun and you, had they but learned of it. You understand, you belong to the pack...and because I have torn out Hisashi-sama's throat and now lead it, you belong to me!"

"N-n-no!" Byakuya cried, shattering the man's power and rolling onto his hands and knees.

He scrambled to Renji's side, gathering the redhead against him and backing away as the man shimmered and became the silvery wolf again.

"You would defy _me_? Try then, but there is no way to escape!"

"Bastard!" Byakuya hissed, striking at the beast with kido and blocking with his sword as the creature lunged at him.

The spirit wolf's mouth opened and his teeth bared as he loosed a cero on the rocky ceiling of the cave, bringing debris down on top of the noble and the unconscious redhead he protected. He dragged Renji towards the cave entrance, dodging the debris that rained down on them and the spirit wolf snarled and lunged at him too quickly for him to evade, even with his flash step.

The impact of the wolf's body as it slammed into his threw Renji out of his arms and sprawling onto the ground outside the cave. The wolf came down on Byakuya's back, his jaws closing warningly around the back of the noble's slender neck as they landed. Byakuya gasped as the wolf's teeth broke the skin and he felt malevolent reiatsu seep into his bloodstream. The wolf held him down, infusing him with the reiatsu, then watching as the noble's body quivered hard, then shuddered and began to transform. In moments, he was holding down, not a shinigami, but a white wolf with black fur around his head, ears and face.

_Forgive me,_ the spirit wolf's voice whispered into the shocked noble's reeling mind, _We must mate in both forms._

The white wolf's mouth opened and a discomfited whine escaped. Then, he howled loudly as the silver wolf mounted him and began their mating. He held on to the back of the white wolf's neck as his powerful hips moved, pressing the other wolf's hips down and trapping him.

The white wolf snarled and howled more ferociously, his powerful jaws snapping as he twisted, trying to break free of the other wolf, but only becoming more entangled with him. The silver wolf panted heavily, his movements becoming more harsh and disjointed until he froze atop the white wolf's back, groaning as he released into the slighter beast. The wolf that Byakuya had become howled in pain and fury, shuddering as the heat of the other beast's seed burned him inside. He tore free and started to run, but spotted Renji still collapsed and unconscious on the ground and whined worriedly as his body shimmered again and returned to shinigami form.

Byakuya dug his fingers hard into the sand, grabbing a handful and throwing it at the silver wolf's face as he grabbed Renji and opened a senkaimon.

The huge, silver wolf surged forward, shattering the reiatsu shielding that the noble tried to invoke and knocking Renji out of his taichou's arms. He shifted to man form as they came down onto the ground and sought to pin the struggling taichou to the ground. The man's lips moved in an incantation that froze the noble in place and he laid his panting body down on top of the noble's.

"I know that you don't understand, but you will, soon enough. I don't want to hurt you, so just don't struggle anymore and I will allow you and your subordinate to leave alive when we are done."

"Don't!" Byakuya gasped, his insides still filled with the scathing heat of the silver wolf's release, "I'll kill you if you...!"

"So stubborn," the golden-eyed man said, caressing the incapacitated noble's face as he hastily prepared and entered him from behind, "You have high spirits...higher spirits than your father. Hisashi-sama was seduced by Kuchiki Soujun's beauty and I have been captivated by yours. You are very beautiful, Kuchiki Byakuya."

Byakuya fixed his eyes on Renji's battered face, trying not to feel the heat and penetration as the golden-eyed man entered him.

"You must understand, even though they took you back to the shinigamis, when Hisashi-sama claimed Soujun, your father was made one of us. And you are one of us too.

"Why are you doing this?" Byakuya managed, closing his eyes against the pain and trying to regain control of his body, "How did you know that I would..."

"The vermilion moon was the sign of Hisashi-sama's end and our beginning. But we will speak of that later,"

Byakuya gasped as the other man's seething member found a place inside him that send shudders of intense pleasure through him as it was repeatedly stricken. Overwhelmed, he groaned and rested the side of his face against the cool sand, momentarily hating his own flesh for responding. He shivered as the other man's fingers teased his hair and he kissed his way along the length of the noble's vulnerable throat.

"I apologize for my rudeness. You must hate me right now. But it was important that this be done right away. You will understand soon."

The man pressed more tender kisses to the side of Byakuya's face as he stiffened and loosed his release inside the noble.

"I will spare you the memory of this first mating for now," the man panted in his ear, "The heir must be protected with secrecy. I do not want what happened to Soujun to happen to you, my lovely mate."

He pressed his cheek against Byakuya's, closing his eyes as he jolted the noble into senselessness with a flare of his power. The noble's body went limp beneath him and the golden-eyed man sighed and sat up. He spent several long minutes looking down at the unconscious shinigami, admiring his comely face and pretty, pale skin. He cleaned and carefully healed Byakuya's body of the hurts that their mating had caused, then dressed him and laid him down alongside his still unconscious subordinate. He healed Renji's slight injuries as well, then left the two in the cave and set the reiatsu barrier back in place. He stood for a moment, gazing through the barrier at Byakuya, before turning away and melting into the darkness.

Renji woke a short time later, confused at finding himself lying down beside Byakuya.

"Shoot, Taichou would kill me if he..."

"If he what?" the noble asked, opening one gray eye and fixing it on his blushing subordinate.

"Augh, nothing, Taichou," the redhead said hastily, "It's just...your turn to take the watch. That's all."

Byakuya gave a troubled sigh, biting at his lips as uncomfortable twinges went through him when he moved.

"I think that I would rather go back now if you are not too weary."

"I'm okay," Renji assured him, looking around, "And I've got no problem with getting our asses outta here. I don't like this place."

Byakuya shook his head in agreement.

"I do not tolerate it well either. Come, Renji."

The two gathered up their packs and left the cave, walking out into the middle of the small valley they were in. Byakuya used the device Urahara had given them and opened a garganta. The two flash stepped back through the darkness of the underground cavern, opting to remain silent as they returned to the former taichou's shop and dropped down into the training area. Byakuya then opened a senkaimon and they passed through the precipice world and back into Soul Society. They walked slowly through the streets, relaxing as they neared their own division's headquarters.

"You going home tonight, Taichou?"

"I think I will just sleep in my quarters I feel somewhat unwell."

"Would you like some ginger tea?" the redhead offered, opening the door to the division office and standing back to let Byakuya inside.

"That would be good, arigatou, Abarai."

He left the redhead to make the tea and went into his room to undress. He felt vague twinges near the oddly shaped birthmark on his back and turned so that he could see it in the mirror. An unusual dampness between his thighs distracted him and he froze, staring at a mixture of some sticky substnce mingled with blood that had leaked onto his inner thigh. He found a few bruises he didn't remember getting and shook his head in confusion.

As he looked back at the mirror again, he reeled as an image flashed in his mind.

_A silver wolf crashed down onto his back and held him in place as it set its teeth in the back of his neck._

"Here you go, Taichou," Renji said, startling the noble out of his thoughts and distracting him with the soothing tea, "This'll fix you right up so you can sleep. You need anything else?"

"No, thank you. You may go."

Renji turned and started to leave the room, but was halted as Byakuya's voice sounded again.

"Renji?"

"Yeah, Taichou?"

"As I am not well and do not have my attendant present, would you mind sleeping here in my room for the night?"

"Oh...yeah, sure, no problem!" the redhead said, affably, "I'll just go and change and I'll be right back."

Byakuya laid down in his bed, wondering at himself for requesting such a thing.

_I am hardly a child. I do not know what came over me._

But he had to admit that it was comforting, falling asleep with Renji's warm reiatsu pulsing softly nearby. He fell into a deep sleep that was only broken once, when he woke in a cold sweat, anxiety making him shake all over and having the strange feeling like something horrid had happened. He shook his head and moved closer to Renji, pushing everything aside and dropping off to sleep again.


	2. The Heat

**Chapter 2: The Heat**

**(Happy Birthday, Byakuya! So much love coming your way today! We'll start off with a spirit wolf taking his turn at that pretty bottom (don't worry, it's not non-con!), while Renji plays protector. Don't worry, Renji, it'll be your turn sooner than you think. This is going to be a really interesting story with some unexpected turns. Thanks to everyone reading, especially reviewers Nyu (Ah yes, and Bya won't be alone in 'going wolf' either. But more about that later! So glad to have you along!), Moegi (I won't just include background. There will be some in your face flashbacks that will really highlight the kind of person Soujun was and Byakuya's feelings about him. I am going to enjoy this!), Rhea (There was a reason why the interaction between Byakuya and the spirit wolf was like it was, but that will be explained. And don't worry. Although Renji is starting out in the role of friend/protector, that will change very soon!), phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Well, I won't give the plotline away, but not everything is as it seems, and there is some good stuff coming up, surprises of all sorts!), Emmagem803 (The spirit wolves are kind of special. Although technically hollow creatures, they prize pure noble blood, which will play into the story as Soujun's story is revealed.), snowflowersister of toshiro241 (I am so glad you like it!), BunnyHopster26 (Ah yes, very juicy! Pretty Bya's going to have his hands...and something else full! lol), and LeAwesomeOne IX (I am going to update on AO3 in a little while after adding to the intimate scene in this chapter. It just might take a little while as I am also working on finishing another chapter of On Top!) Enjoy the chapter! Love you all, Spunky)**

Renji caught the soft sound of an annoyed sigh and glanced over to where Byakuya worked quietly at his desk. Leaned over a report with his face slightly turned away, it was hard to tell why he had made such an uncomfortable sound. But as his head turned slightly back, Renji could see the unhealthy flush that had come onto his skin and could almost feel the heat of the other man from across the room.

"It's pretty late," he said, yawning, "You oughta go home and get some rest, Taichou. You look like you might have a fever."

"I am all right," Byakuya said, brushing him off and continuing to work.

But moments later, he made another sound of discomfort and rubbed his hands over his sweating face. Renji watched as he frowned down at the papers in front of him, trying to attend to them, then shook his head meaningfully and stood.

"What are you doing, Abarai?" the noble asked tersely.

"What am I doing?" Renji repeated, frowning, "I'm going to make you some tea. At least if you won't stop working and rest while you're not feeling well, I can do something to make you a little more comfortable."

"As you wish," Byakuya said dismissively, "And then you can go for the night. I know that you like to go dancing with your friends on Fridays. I don't want to keep you."

Renji gave him a look of disbelief.

"Taichou, you don't think for a minute I'm going to run off to have fun with my other friends while you're here feeling bad and trying to tough it out."

Byakuya caught his breath in surprise at the inclusion of the word _other_.

_But then, we have grown closer, especially since the quincy war._

"No," he mused, "You are unfailingly loyal. But you do not have to worry about me. I am just a little under the weather. I can take care of myself. I will drink the tea you make and go to bed for the night."

"Well," the redhead said uneasily, "all right. I'll go and make that tea for you, then."

"Arigatou, Abarai," the noble said genuinely, standing and pushing his chair in, "I will be in my quarters."

Renji exited the front office and Byakuya adjourned to his quarters, where he slowly undressed and wrapped a red yukata around his slender body. He sighed wearily and walked to the sliding glass door on the far side of the room, slipping outside into the cool darkness to gaze up at the lovely moon as he waited for Renji to return. One moment, he was looking up into the sky, and the next, an arm wrapped around his waist from behind and seeking fingers found the place on his back where the birthmark was and infused it with a touch of reiatsu.

"Who are you?" Byakuya asked, blinking as an odd feeling of familiarity passed over him, "What are you doing?"

"Please forgive me for my rudeness, Byakuya," the man holding him said in a deep, compelling voice, "It is important that we keep our meeting a secret. Let us go inside and I will explain."

"Let go of me!" Byakuya snapped, pulling free of the other and stepping back into the room.

The other man moved into the room with him and stood quietly in front of him, no longer attempting any physical contact. Byakuya studied the tall man's wild, silvery hair and glowing, golden eyes warily.

"You look familiar," he said, trying to place the man, "What is your name?"

"I am called Ginke, _Silverhair_. I am leader the banished clan Kumorigake."

"Kumorigake," Byakuya repeated warily, his mind drifting to the clan histories in the Kuchiki family archive, "We have not heard an heir to that clan in many years. It was thought to have perished."

"We are not dead," Ginke said, smiling at the Kuchiki heir, "We simply do not choose to make ourselves part of polite society. Ours is a fallen clan. Surely you can understand why we would seek privacy."

"Yes," Byakuya said quietly, "But why have you come to me? You...touched the birthmark on my back and I felt something strange. What did you do to me?"

"I didn't want you to attack me," Ginke explained, his golden eyes blinking slowly, "so I infused that marking with a touch of my reiatsu and your body recognized me and began to relax. Be at ease, Byakuya. I am not an enemy."

"But you are not a friend," Byakuya said quietly, "The way you approached me told me that. You didn't expect me to trust you, and indeed, you do not act like one I would trust."

"_Sumimasen_," Ginke said, lowering his eyes, "I admit I have already done things to make you dislike me. But...you do not remember. I spared you that."

"You...interfered with my memory?" Byakuya queried, frowning as he encountered a flash memory of the two of them standing on opposite sides of a barrier, then the silver-haired man shattering it to reach him.

"Tell me why you have come here!" Byakuya demanded.

Ginke sighed.

"I had to come here," he explained, "You see, when we were together in Hueco Mundo a few weeks ago, I impregnated you."

"You...?" Byakuya whispered, shivering as he began to remember.

He reeled inwardly as the man's words from before returned to him.

_"It is our time," the man said, blinking slowly, "You are called, Byakuya, son of Kuchiki Soujun and Hisashi-sama!"_

"You said I was called," the Kuchiki heir went on dazedly.

"Yes."

_"What they did was necessary, given that your elders would have killed Soujun and you, had they but learned of it. You understand, you belong to the pack...and because I have torn out Hisashi-sama's throat and now lead it, you belong to me!"_

Byakuya raised his hands and gathered his power, taking aim on the other man and frowning suspiciously.

"You also said that I was the son of Hisashi?"

"Yes. You do not remember that, because your grandfather placed that marking on you."

Byakuya's eyes rounded.

"My grandfather? Ginrei knew? He knew that I was..."

"He knew that Hisashi-sama claimed his son, Soujun, and that you were their son. Ginrei and the Lady Sorano knew who your true father and mother were. You were born out of Soujun's own body, Byakuya...after he was claimed and impregnated by Hisashi-sama!"

"But you said that...you tore out Hisashi's throat? You do not seem to harbor ill will towards him. If that is so, and, as you claim, you are not my enemy, then why would you kill my father?"

Ginke's head bowed at the speaking of the former leader's name.

"It is true, as I said, that I did tear out Hisashi-sama's throat. But...think of what you have read of the Ookami seirei. You must understand, it is our way to claim leadership of the clan by slaying the former leader. Hisashi-sama was betrayed by one of our number, a beast named Kurokage. He fatally injured Hisashi-sama and would have finished him if I had not. Hisashi-sama, in his last moments, pleaded with me to be the one, and to come to you, Byakuya. He knew that Kurokage had learned of you and that he could try to take you as his own if he became leader. As his friend, I could not allow that. I acted as he wished, slaying him cleanly, then luring you to Hueco Mundo and impregnating you with our next heir."

"All of this without asking my permission, or even attempting to explain!" Byakuya said angrily, "How dare you lay hands on me without my consent! I don't care what your reasons were. You had no right!"

The two men stiffened as the door opened and Renji entered the room. He looked from the noble to the dangerous looking silver-haired man as Byakuya suddenly lowered his hands and took on a more relaxed pose.

"Taichou?" the redhead queried, "I heard yelling. Are you...is everything okay? Is this guy bothering you?"

The silver-haired man gazed back at Renji appraisingly.

"This is Abarai Renji?" he asked softly

Byakuya looked back at the redhead, frowning.

"Everything is fine, Abarai. Please leave the tea and go."

Renji felt a knot in the pit of his stomach, but nodded and forced his legs into motion, crossing to the nightstand and setting the tea down as Byakuya and the silver-haired stranger watched each other warily.

"So, ah...if there is nothing else, Taichou?"

"You are excused, Renji," Byakuya said tersely, "I will see you tomorrow."

"Uh, okay, g'night Taichou. I'll be staying in my quarters tonight if you need anything."

"Arigatou, Renji."

The redhead slipped out of the room, but paused in the hallway, trying to listen through the door as the voices began again, but not able to make out the words.

"Damn, what's going on, Taichou? Who is that guy? He gives me the creeps...what's he doing in there with you?"

He tried again to hear what was passing between the two, but was stymied, so adjourned to his room and laid awake, frowning.

_That guy looked familiar._

_Where have we met before?_

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya sat down on the bed, brushing a hand over his flushed face and taking a sip of tea as Ginke watched from a short distance away, but made no move to approach him.

"I should kill you for touching me!" Byakuya hissed furiously.

"I know you are angry. I understand," Ginke answered quietly, "Your ways are different. You don't understand that I wasn't taking advantage, I was claiming what was rightfully mine."

"I _don't_ belong to you!" Byakuya exclaimed, "Where do you get the idea that you have any right to do something like that to me?"

"You need to accept that you are not just a shinigami. You are one of us...one of the Ookami seirei! You need to recognize and accept who you really are. You are a spirit wolf in shinigami form. You are a member of the Kumorigake clan as well as the Kuchiki clan, and you are a chosen bloodline, meaning that any ranking male within a clan may claim you. Kurokage found out who you were and he was seeking to find you. If I had not lured you and impregnated you, he would have. And that was not what Hisashi-sama wanted for you."

"Tell me something," Byakuya said coldly, "When Hisashi was with my father, did he rape him too? Did my father even have a choice about being with him or did he just claim him like a cheap thing?"

Before the noble had a chance to move, Ginke shot forward and brought him down on his back on the bed. His golden eyes flashed with dangerous anger and his voice came out in a feral growl.

"Do not _ever_ suggest such a thing about Hisashi-sama and Soujun!"

"Well, you seemed content enough to rape me," the noble snarled back, "I just wondered if your leader had an equal disregard for my father as you have for me!"

"Fool!" Ginke roared, "You don't know anything at all! What I did to you was only a matter of pack laws. You would know that if you had any sense of your own history!"

"How am I supposed to have a sense of my history when it has been hidden from me all of this time?" Byakuya demanded.

Ginke's eyes reflected guilt for a moment, then he shook his head in capitulation.

"I suppose that is understandable, but what you need to understand is that I am not your enemy. Your true enemy is a foul, murderous beast who would do far worse to you than I have. What I did, I did to serve Hisashi-sama's last wishes. He wanted me to protect you. This is the only way for me to do that!"

He paused as Byakuya made a sound of pain and clenched at his abdomen. Ginke breathed in the air around them and touched a hand to the noble's flushed face.

"What is this? What is happening to me?" Byakuya asked, closing his eyes.

"It is the heat," the Ookami seirei explained, "We mate in cycles. The time in Hueco Mundo was only to awaken you and to place the seed of the heir. For a time now, we will need to meet to allow me to infuse the heir's growing body with my semen and reiatsu."

"You are not touching me again! I would rather die!" Byakuya cried, shoving the other man away.

Ginke made no move towards him, but looked back at him darkly.

"According to our rules, I may only touch you with your permission after the initial seeding. This is to prevent another from interfering with our mating. Even Kurokage will not touch you without your permission. But be warned, Byakuya. The heat will drive you to madness if you do not continue the mating. If is it too stressful this way, we can mate in wolf form. We only had to use both forms for the first seeding. Think carefully about what you will do. If anything happens to me while you are in heat, the one who slays me will become your new mate and finish the mating. If you think I am cruel, then I am sure that you will find Kurokage to be demonic! But, be stubborn as you like. I will be nearby when you come to your senses."

Byakuya watched with tormented eyes as the Ookami seirei turned and started to leave the room.

"Ginke?"

The silver-haired man stopped and turned to look at the noble silently.

"Tell me, do you have any feelings for me at all, really? Do you even find me attractive?"

Ginke took a slow breath and walked back to the bed. He sat down on the end of it and met Byakuya's eyes directly.

"Your scent is like a breath of spring breeze," he said softly, "Your voice finds my heart as though I have no defenses. And your wolf form is the most beautiful I've seen since Soujun's. I know you are not aware, but when I said that yours is a chosen bloodline, it means that you are akin to royalty to us. Although the first mating may have seemed demeaning, becoming the mate of a leader is a privilege saved for the ones of the purest blood. You may have thought that I looked down on you, but that is not the truth. I apologize for my haste and for not explaining things properly. I will leave you now. Goodbye, Byakuya."

"Wait," Byakuya said, swallowing hard and biting at his lips, "Do not go."

Ginke looked back at him questioningly.

"I am...already at the edges of my tolerance. I do not know if I believe you, but it seems that there is no choice for now. I will..."

He paused, lowering his head and blushing even more brightly. Ginke smiled in understanding and extended a hand in his direction. Byakuya accepted his hand and stood, his legs shaking slightly as he gazed back at the other man.

"Would you prefer...?"

"I think we should take wolf form," said the noble, "to avoid tarnishing my reputation as a shinigami taichou and clan leader."

"Very well," said Ginke, touching his face lightly and releasing a bit of his reiatsu.

The two men's bodies glowed briefly, then transformed.

_Come with me, now. I will have you back before anyone knows you were gone._

Byakuya glanced back at his bedroom door for a moment, then turned and followed the other wolf out of the room. They stopped in the gardens, outside the taichou's quarters and found a secluded place not visible to the other rooms nearby. Byakuya turned his head away, waiting for Ginke to begin. He made a small yelp of surprise as the other wolf nuzzled the side of his face and licked his ear.

_I am sorry. I know you don't want to do this. If you do not wish to see me except for matings, I will respect your wishes._

The white wolf hesitated, blinking slowly as he took in the words.

_Will you tell me about my father and Hisashi?_

Ginke gave a pleased whine.

_Of course._

He raised his silvery body and mounted the white wolf carefully, continuing to nuzzle his cheek affectionately as their mating began.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji let out an anxious breath and sat up in bed, unable to sleep. He left his room and went to find a bottle of sake he had left in the back of his desk, but paused by Byakuya's door as something resembling a sound of pain reached his ears.

"Taichou?" he said softly, trying the door.

The door opened a crack and he looked inside, then pushed it all of the way open, his eyes widening as he spotted Byakuya, kneeling on the floor in the garden doorway with his palms pressed to the floor and his head lowered. His chest heaved and when he lifted his eyes to look at his fukutaichou, Renji sucked in a surprised breath at the strange, reddish glow in them.

_It's gotta be a trick of the light..._

"Hey, Taichou, sorry for barging in, but I heard..."

"Renji..." Byakuya muttered, looking only half-aware.

"Yeah, I'm right here. I'm gonna get a healer for you, okay?"

"No!" the noble exclaimed, "I am...I will be...all right. Just..."

It was then that the redhead caught an odd, feral scent on the air that both unnerved and attracted him.

"What the hell?" he mused, "What's going on with you, Taichou? Something's really not..."

"I need to bathe," Byakuya said shortly.

"Aw, Taichou, you're barely on your feet. You can't..."

"Be quiet and help me!" the noble snapped, making Renji blink in surprise at the loss of composure.

"All right. Okay," the redhead said, sliding an arm around Byakuya and helping him to his feet.

Byakuya remained leaned forward with a hand to his midsection as Renji guided him to the bathroom. He paused, once inside, feeling that he had to ask a painful question and hoping his unsettled taichou wouldn't kill him for it.

"Look, um, Taichou, I know it isn't my business, but I'm kinda freaked out right now and you don't look so good. So, I'm going to just ask you. That guy who was here before with you. Did he...did he _hurt you_?"

Byakuya absorbed the question, looking down at his shaky body.

"N-no, Abarai. He did not do anything I did not agree to."

"Oh. Okay."

He watched as the noble started to undo his yukata, than made another sound of pain and placed a hand on his midsection.

"You uh, want me to stay and help you out?" Renji asked, "Or I could send for Torio for you."

"You will be fine, thank you," Byakuya said, sounding only slightly more collected than before.

Renji nodded briefly and removed the noble's yukata then undressed and followed him into the steaming shower. He waited as Byakuya let the water soak his body for several minutes, then worked soap onto his skin and carefully washed him. He expected that his taichou might say something, but Byakuya simply leaned against him and sighed in relief as he was washed clean. He started to doze on his feet while Renji washed the long, raven strands of his hair and was nearly asleep by the time the redhead turned him to wash the shampoo out of his hair. Byakuya stood silently as the water was turned off and the redhead dried him off and dressed him in a clean yukata. Renji watched as the noble slid in under the covers, then left to make fresh tea and returned to find Byakuya already asleep.

Renji walked to the sliding glass doors and closed and locked them, then he stood for a moment, looking out into the darkness.

"I don't know who you are," he said softly, "but if you hurt him, I'm gonna kill you."

He turned back and started towards the door, then stopped short, looking down at his exhausted superior. Glancing back at the doors and hoping that the strange man would see, he climbed onto the bed and curled up next to the sleeping noble.

_Come in here again, and I'm gonna throw you out again. You're not good for Taichou. And even if he doesn't seem to know that..._

_I do._


	3. Into Twilight

**Chapter 3: Into Twilight**

**(Wow! Thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing. I am having a lot of fun with this one, and it's going to be really exciting from now on! My gratitude to Snowflowersister of toshiro241 (You think he's scared now, wait until he meets Kurokage!), phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Oh yes, Byakuya is adorable that way! And Renji is sure going to have fun with that...right after this exciting chapter!), LeAwesomeOne IX (Sorry about the delay on getting the AO3 version up. I will try to get caught up over there today. Glad you are enjoying the story!), Moegi (Oh, Renji's about to get the rundown on exactly what Ginke and Byakuya have been up to!), Karenaangel1986 (I think Ginke has an unusual perceptiveness about him, and he really likes that Renji is protective of Byakuya. There's no jealousy because Ginke feels his claim on Byakuya is not threatened by Renji at all.), Kyuumihaira (Not last chapter, no, he didn't, although that is a wolf thing, lying alongside a mate like that!), SCJ0263 (Then you will love this chapter!) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

_I know something's really not right with Taichou, _Renji thought, watching the noble as he worked silently at the reports in front of him, _He looks so pale all of the time and I keep noticing little things...like the fact he's craving sweets when he never liked them before. And he seems sad a lot of the time, like he's depressed about something. He keeps saying he's all right, but I can tell he's not. I wonder if it's that guy. I know they meet several times a week and Taichou stays out until near morning, then comes back so tired he can barely stand. And he always wants the same things...tea and a hot shower. I can't complain about taking hot showers with him, though. I like sleeping next to him too. Sometimes I wake up and he's curled up close to me, like he's glad I'm there._

_What's going on, Taichou?_

He was brought out of his thoughts as Byakuya set the last of the reports in his outbox and sighed softly, finishing the last few sips of his tea before standing and wishing Renji a good night.

"Taichou?" Renji queried, studying the return of the flushed look that always seemed to precede a visit by the strange silver-haired man.

"What do you want, Renji?" the noble asked wearily.

_I want to tell you not to go with him tonight, but you don't listen when I try to tell you that._

"Taichou, I..."

Byakuya waited silently as the redhead struggled for words.

_I don't know what to say to him._

"I...I'm here."

The redhead blushed at how stupid the words sounded, then noticed that Byakuya hadn't responded and quickly recovered himself.

"I...am staying here tonight...in case you need anything."

He could have cried at the look of genuine relief the words brought to Byakuya's dark eyes, and he felt the warm emotion in the next words the other man uttered.

"Thank you, Renji. I appreciate that."

The exchange was simple, but felt profound, as though the noble had given him some kind of trust that was reserved for him alone.

_But I want you to feel you can come to me. I want you to confide in me, Taichou. You've been bearing a heavy weight all by yourself. I just want to help you with whatever's weighing you down like that. You can have faith in me. I will protect you._

"Good night, Taichou."

"Good night, Abarai."

Byakuya left the front office and walked to the door to his quarters, already feeling the presence of the man who waited for him. He opened the door and was greeted by the silver-haired wolf.

_Byakuya._

"Ginke," the noble said softly, wasting no time, but shifting to wolf form and following the other to the garden doors.

The interior door to Byakuya's room opened a crack as the two disappeared, leaving the one watching blinking and trying to make sense of what he had seen for a moment.

_Were those...wolves?_

Renji tapped on the door and opened it wider.

"Taichou?" he called softly.

Receiving no answer, he entered the room and searched it, only to find that Byakuya was nowhere in the room or the gardens outside the door, but seemed to have disappeared altogether.

_What the hell? What's going on, Taichou? Did you go out with him again? And what were those wolves I saw? What's going on?_

Renji's lips frowned worriedly and then tightened.

_I need to understand what's happening to him. I think it's time to confront him. This has been going on for a while now. It's getting out of hand. _

_When he comes back then..._

The redhead walked to the bed and sat down, then waited quietly, listening to the soft night sounds that trickled in from outside. Some time later, Renji heard the sound of a howl in the distance and felt the loosing of Byakuya's zanpakutou.

"Taichou!" he cried, summoning his own weapon and racing out into the darkness.

XXXXXXXXXX

_This should be fine, _Byakuya communicated to the bigger wolf as the two reached a moonlit clearing and paused to rest under a stand of sakura trees.

_Very well, _Ginke answered, pausing, then turning back to nuzzle the white wolf's somber face.

Byakuya waited quietly for the other wolf to mount him, but was surprised when he laid down on his belly and made several low whining sounds.

_What is it? _Byakuya asked, looking down at the other wolf quizzically.

_I am torn. I know that you need to mate, but when we do, we are so weary afterward that we don't get to talk very much. I wanted to make good on my promise to tell you about Soujun and Hisashi-sama._

Byakuya laid down beside the silver wolf and followed his gaze, out over the cliff in front of them and off into the misted meadow below them.

_There is a gift that we have...an ability to make the past come to life so that it feels like we are there. While using this power, we will feel as though we are there, acting as the one we choose. For this revelation, you will see through Soujun's eyes and I will see through the eyes of Hisashi-sama. Then, you will know why your father became Hisashi-sama's mate._

Byakuya waited, his dark eyes fixed on Ginke.

A bright red glow rose around Ginke and swirled around the two, seeming to close them away from their surroundings and giving them the feeling of falling. Byakuya closed his eyes and inhaled in surprise as he found himself somewhere else entirely.

_He woke to find himself stretched out on the cold sand under the bright crescent moon that reigned over the always dark Hueco Mundo sky. A groan escaped his lips and he tasted blood in his mouth. He lifted his head slightly and encountered the horrifying sight of the comrades he had arrived with all lying slain and tumbled about._

_"N-no!" he whispered, trying to crawl towards them._

_He worked his way onto his hands and knees, ignoring his own pain as he sought to reach the fallen ones. Careful hands and eyes checked each of the collapsed bodies, only to find no signs of life in any of them. Soujun realized then that he was alone, and that rescue would not come for a while. He summoned a hell butterfly and whispered a message into it, giving it his location, and a message about what had befallen his unit. He watched the small insect flutter away, then looked around and spotted a small, almost invisible cave entrance. A quick exploration found it to be empty of hollows and somewhat warmer than the area outside. Soujun knelt and raised a protective barrier, then he moved to the back of the cave and loosened his clothing._

_"Oh, this is not good," he breathed, surveying his battered body._

_He found antiseptic and bandages in his pack and did what he could to stabilize himself. But over time, he felt himself weakening, and finally, he simply collapsed and lost consciousness._

_When he woke again, Soujun found that he wasn't alone. A large, muscular man with worn clothes and wild black and gray hair knelt by a fire outside of the cave. His hands moved as he prepared something. Then, he doused the flame and carried what he had made inside, where he passed through a barrier that the shinigami could feel was an improvement over the one he had made. The bigger man looked down at Soujun as he reached him and set a cup of tea and a plate of hot food at his side._

_"I am glad to see you have awakened. I was worried you might share the fate of the ones outside. You are lucky to be alive, shinigami."_

_"I think I would have perished if you had not come along," Soujun said quietly, "I am grateful to you for assisting me. But...you called me 'shinigami.' That suggests that you are not one of my kind. Who are you, then? Are you a hollow?"_

_"You say that so calmly," the man answered, fixing a pair of lovely emerald eyes on Soujun's, "Wasn't it hollows that killed your friends and injured you?"_

_"If you were like them, you would not have helped me. You would have devoured me already. That suggests that while you may be a hollow, you have a code of honor. So, as you have chosen not to kill me, and instead have healed me, I am in your debt. Arigatou."_

_The green-eyed man smiled._

_"You are welcome. But I must admit that when I found you, I was prepared to end your suffering by killing you."_

_"But instead, you...?"_

_"I turned you onto your back and my hands came into contact with your blood. It resonated with me. You are...noble born, then?"_

_"Y-yes," Soujun answered, reeling slightly from the reveal that the other man had considered finishing him, "I am the Kuchiki clan heir, Kuchiki Soujun."_

_"I am called Hisashi, and although I am a resident of Hueco Mundo, I am not the same as a hollow. My kind still have hearts, but we are caught between life and death. We are spirit creatures who the shinigamis fear, so we choose to live here."_

_"Shinigamis fear you?" Soujun repeated warily, "Why?"_

_Soujun stared as Hisashi's body began to glow with an odd red light. The light curled around his muscular body, enveloping him as his form began to shift. A moment later, Soujun found himself looking into the same lovely emerald eyes. But now they belonged to a huge black and gray wolf. He backed away, putting a hand over his mouth and struggling for words._

_"An...ookami seirei?" he whispered, "You are a spirit wolf?"_

_"Yes," Hisashi answered, bowing his head, then dropping onto his belly._

_A long silence passed between the two, then Soujun's body relaxed slightly, and he moved forward, tentatively reaching out to touch the wolf's surprisingly soft fur._

_"You are...amazing, Hisashi of the ookami seirei. But...what do you want from me?"_

_"We have had Kuchiki's among our number," Hisashi explained, "Kuchiki blood is a pure bloodline that results in powerful and beautiful offspring. Therefore, to take a mate of that bloodline is to touch royalty...as much as a mongrel like me might."_

_"Then," Soujun said, lowering his eyes, "You are requiring me to...?"_

_The spirit wolf shifted back to human form and approached Soujun slowly, then captured his face in two strong hands._

_"I will not require anything of you. I healed you because I wanted to do so. And as much as you feel indebted to me for that, you are not obligated by it. Tell me then, Kuchiki Soujun, if I ask it of you, will you become my mate?"_

_"But...but I am m-male! And...would it mean that I couldn't go back? What about my family? I am heir. I am required to lead as soon as my father retires as clan leader. What of that? Am I just expected to walk away from everything?"_

_"No," Hisashi said, shaking his head and running his fingers through the younger man's silken hair, "You do not have to leave your family or your obligations, Soujun. And, that you are male has no bearing. We are spirit-kind, which means that I can cause the formation of a spirit chamber in your body and impregnate you."_

_"But...why me? I am a shinigami. I'm not your kind. Why would you want me?"_

_"You are beautiful, and our offspring will be strong," Hisashi said, caressing Soujun's face, "I am a clan leader as well."_

_"You are? But...?"_

_"I am leader of the Kumorigake clan."_

_"Kumorigake clan," Soujun repeated, remembering, "But that clan died out years ago!"_

_"No," Hisashi corrected him, "The last heir of the Kumorigake clan gave himself to my father, and the line was merged with the ookami seirei. That clan lives on in our pack. We keep it alive here."_

_"You are noble beasts," Soujun said appreciatively, "This is what led you to save me?"_

_Hisashi smiled and kissed the blushing shinigami's hand._

_"I saved you because the moment I saw you, I desired you, Kuchiki Soujun. So, I offer you this now. Accept my bite and I will make you one of us. We will mate and have heirs for your clan and mine. I will only require you to return to the pack on the night of each full moon. I will make no other demands on you. You may do as you will in your shinigami life."_

_Soujun gazed deeply into the other man's eyes, his heart fluttering as he considered._

_"But, how will I explain the heir?" he mused, "I certainly will not be able to tell the elders the truth. What shall I...?_

_He paused, seeing that Hisashi's smile had widened and had become even more attractive._

_"Wh-what is it? What did I do?" Soujun inquired, looking confused._

_"You spoke as though you really might accept. It made me hopeful. You...feel something for me in return then, Soujun?"_

_"Do I feel something for you?" Soujun repeated, running his fingers through the other man's hair and returning his embrace, "You saved my life, Hisashi. You could have killed me, but instead, you honor me. You are beautiful and strong. And I know you must be a wise and just leader."_

_"Then...?"_

_"Yes," Soujun said breathlessly, "I will accept you."_

_"I am honored," Hisashi said, lowering his lips to meet the trembling shinigami's, "Soujun of the Kuchiki clan...I claim you!"_

_He shifted back to wolf form and Soujun extended a shaking, pale hand. The wolf struck swiftly, biting only hard enough to break the skin, then infusing the area quickly with his reiatsu to soothe it._

_"Are you all right? It didn't hurt too much, did it?" Hisashi's voice whispered into Soujun's mind._

_Soujun stepped back, panting softly and staring down at his already healed hand as his body was surrounded in red light and then transformed as Hisashi's had. When the light faded, Soujun stood, panting and whining anxiously._

_Hisashi gazed raptly, enchanted by the sight of the newly transformed wolf. Soujun's white coat shined blue in the bright moonlight and the ends of the longer black hairs around his head glowed a darker, more radiant blue._

_"What a lovely form!" Hisashi mused, moving closer and licking the slighter wolf's face and ears, "Come with me, Soujun. I want you to meet our family."_

Byakuya realized suddenly, as the vision faded, that his own lips were smiling. Ginke traced his smile with warm fingertips, then kissed him.

"You find their story pleasing?" he asked.

"Yes," Byakuya said, nodding, "He had better manners than you. I was not displeased. I am glad to know that my father chose his own fate."

"Byakuya," Ginke said, fixing his eyes on the noble's, "You must understand that the reason Hisashi asked permission and did not merely claim Soujun outright was because Soujun was not one of us. It is a matter of our clan's pride that shinigamis are never inducted into our number by force. You were not made one of us. You are born of ookami seirei. You have a shinigami form because of Soujun, but you are of our kind, and therefore, subject to our pack laws. You could have been claimed by any pack leader once Hisashi-sama died. But he wanted you to remain with our pack. The others are not so civilized as we are."

"I see. And Kurokage, he is of another pack?"

"He is the result of another wolf stealing one of our females and impregnating her against her will. She returned to us, but she was never the same. And when she died, Kurokage left our pack and went back to the other to avenge his mother by killing their pack leader and taking control. But he always bore ill will against Hisashi-sama because he claimed that it was his fault that Kurokage's mother was stolen. He should have done a better job of protecting her. He has become violent and corrupt, which led him to attack Hisashi-sama and to try to claim you."

"And I will not just try," said a dark, wicked voice from within the trees behind them, "I will take him from you now!"

Byakuya and Ginke leapt to their feet, the latter taking on his wolf forms as a group of dark colored wolves emerged from the trees.

"Run!" Ginke snarled, the fur on the back of his neck rising, "Get out of here, Byakuya!"

"I won't leave you!" the noble cried, calling his blade to his hand, "Scatter..."

He sucked in a surprised breath as several of the wolves with Kurokage charged him, stopping his shikai. The rival pack leader and several more wolves surrounded Ginke, while Byakuya was forced from his side.

"Hado number thirty-three, Soukatsui!" the noble cried, firing off repeated blasts of blue fire.

Somewhere near him, he heard the impact as the wolves around Ginke attacked.

"Ginke!" he cried, managing his shikai and slashing at the wolves around him.

"Byakuya, go! They are too powerful as a group. You cannot fight all of them!"

"Neither can you!"

Byakuya flash stepped madly in the direction of his mate, spinning the petal blades wildly around him, but finding himself forced to use kido as they breached his defenses and closed in on him. He realized quickly that, although they had him cornered, none were attacking.

_Hold him here, _one of the wolves told the others, _Kurokage-sama will want to mate with him once that bastard cur is dead!_

Byakuya renewed his attacks, forcing the other wolves back and giving him enough room for a special flash step. With blinding speed, he shot out of the group of wolves and to Ginke's side, where he shielded the Kumorigake leader from the attacking wolves, then grabbed him and flash stepped away, leaving an afterimage of them behind to confuse the other wolves.

_But they will not be fooled for long. We have to get out of here!_

He fled then, holding Ginke's suddenly quiet form against him. But only moments later, a howl went up behind them and Byakuya heard the pursuing wolves closing in again.

"No!"

He ran faster, panting hard with exertion and holding on tightly to Ginke. A short time later, the pack leader tugged on his arm and called for him to stop. Byakuya slowed and paused under a plum tree, looking all around them.

"They are gone," Ginke said, shifting to human form and collapsing at Byakuya's side.

"Ginke!" Byakuya gasped, staring at the horrid injuries the other man had sustained.

"I told you he was dangerous," Ginke panted, "It is a great dishonor to use others in a private battle for leadership. He should have challenged me to a one on one battle, but he knew he couldn't defeat me."

Ginke stiffened, noticing someone approaching, then recognized who it was and relaxed slightly.

"I have to heal you," Byakuya said urgently.

"It is...too late," Ginke managed, coughing and sputtering as Byakuya invoked his healing power, "Byakuya..."

"Taichou?" said Renji's shocked voice, "Taichou, what happened to him?"

"Call for help!" the noble cried, "Renji, he's dying!"

"N-no," Ginke rasped, his golden eyes finding Renji, "My wounds are fatal. We are left with no choice. Abarai Renji, come here."

Renji and Byakuya exchanged anxious glances and the redhead moved closer to the fallen man.

"Help him!" Byakuya pleaded, still trying to stop the other man's bleeding.

"Abarai Renji," Ginke said, more calmly, "Will you give me your word that you would do anything to protect Byakuya?"

Renji stared back at the man for a moment, then nodded.

"I will do whatever I have to, to protect Taichou," he answered resolutely.

"C-come closer, then."

The injured man watched until Renji was at his side, then shifted to wolf form and snapped at the redhead, biting down into one of his hands, then infusing it briefly with his reiatsu.

"Renji!" Byakuya exclaimed in a shocked voice, staring in dismay as the redhead staggered back, staring at his bleeding hand, then looking back at the wolf.

"What did you...?"

His voice stopped suddenly, lowering into a harsh, biting growl as red light swelled around his body and he began to change.

"Abarai!" Byakuya gasped, watching with horrified eyes as Renji's body shimmered and lowered onto four feet and grew a long tail.

His coat grew out, as bright red as his hair and his tribal markings painted themselves onto the red wolf's body. He stood, staring at Ginke and growling.

_Come now, Renji. You must kill me now. If I die on my own, Kurokage can claim that he was my killer. You must kill me quickly!_

_I'm not killing anyone,_ Renji replied, continuing to growl.

_Do it! You must! You said that you would do anything to protect Byakuya._

_Yeah._

_And the way you must protect him is to kill me and take over leadership of the Kumorigake pack!_

"You want Renji to take over the pack?" Byakuya asked, dropping to his knees at Ginke's side.

_Yes! When he takes my life, my reiatsu, and that of all of my forebears will be joined with his wolf form. He will carry our legacy in his body and he will be the one to defeat Kurokage._

"How could you do this? How could you bring Renji into this? You know what he means to me!"

_Yes, I know. I saw it in his eyes and yours, Byakuya. It is why I can take my leave of you peacefully. Abarai Renji is powerful and strong. Step away, Byakuya. Step away and let him finish me!_

Byakuya hesitated, looking down at his blood covered hands, then back at the dying wolf. He shifted to wolf form and nuzzled his mate's face comfortingly, then licked his nose affectionately. He laid down at Ginke's side, waiting silently and looking at Renji.

_Renji..._

_Is this what you want, Taichou? _the red wolf asked solemnly.

Byakuya looked from Renji to Ginke, noting the relief in the dying leader's eyes.

_This is what my mate wants, and I will accept it._

Byakuya nuzzled Ginke's face and licked his cheek, then lowered his head onto his paws. Renji looked into the other wolf's golden eyes and felt the power swell around him. He took a steadying breath, then launched himself at the other wolf, baring his teeth and striking cleanly. A yelp of pain escaped Ginke as Renji's bloodied jaws snapped shut, then he went limp and collapsed at the red wolf's feet.

As Renji and Byakuya looked on in dismay, red reiatsu rose out of the dead wolf's body, then surrounded Renji's wolf form and sank down inside him. A moment later, he yelped in surprise as Ginke's voice sounded in his mind.

_Thank you, Abarai Renji. I am sorry to have laid this burden on your shoulders. When you need our strength, all of us who have led the pack will be with you. We will lend our power to you as you protect our family!_

Renji met Byakuya's shattered gray eyes and lowered his head respectfully. Byakuya's body rose and his snout pointed into the sky as he loosed a long, lonely howl of despair. On the ground beside him, Ginke's silvery body shone brightly, then broke apart into tiny silver bits of light that rose onto the air, then slowly dissipated. Renji watched for a moment, then raised his snout into the air and joined his howl with his mourning taichou's.

A few moments later, a throng of dark, shadowy forms surrounded the two. Renji stiffened, but then calmed as the other wolves merely sat down and joined in Byakuya's continued lament.

_Ah, _he mused, _So this is the family._


	4. Red Star

**Chapter 4: Red Star**

**(Whew, what a chapter! I think I'm going to go and make myself a very tall, icy glass of tea. Perfect for the damned weather too! Does the west coast not get yet that it's freaking WINTER? Sorry, I feel for you guys in colder, more blustery places, but I prefer a little rain and chill. It really heats up my writing. Anyway, thanks to Winterheart2000 (Aww, you're so cute!), Kyuumihaira (Aww, I'll make up for the sad with some Bya/Ren fluff right away!), Emmagem803 (Yeah, Renji is a sexy beast!), Nyu (Yeah, I was sad for Ginke. I get attached to my OC's and I don't like killing characters. But for Renji to become leader and to face off with Kurokage, he had to be sacrificed. I thought that Byakuya's show of respect and affection for his mate was well deserved, even though he wasn't in love with Ginke.), NamineLily (Bya's baby will now be fathered by Renji, who is taking over the rest of the matings...starting now! *cues sexy red wolf*), phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Renji has his work cut out for him, both beating Kurokage and managing Byakuya's 'heat!'), Nyma (Yeah, had to set Renji up for leadership and get Soujun's background out, but now that's done and it's all Ren/Bya!), karenaangel1986 (Byakuya wasn't in love with Ginke, but he respected him and even began to feel affection, but his heart already belonged to 'someone else' if you know what I mean!), LeAwesomeOne IX (Argh! Keep forgetting to put on AO3! I'll try to catch that up today or tomorrow. Thanks for the nudge!) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

_Taichou, may I ask you something? _Renji asked as he walked slowly alongside the white wolf.

Byakuya paused as a garganta opened ahead of them, then continued to lead the pack through the dark cavern and into their territory in Hueco Mundo.

_What is it, Renji?_

The red wolf studied Byakuya out of one curious eye, noting the mix of sadness and seething anger in his stormy, gray orbs.

_Do you hate me for killing the guy...erm...wolf you were in love with? I would understand if you did._

Byakuya was quiet for several long minutes, waiting until the pack had reached the cluster of dark caves that was its home. He led Renji into one of the caves and laid down on his belly, resting his head gently on his paws. Renji sat in front of him, watching and waiting patiently for his answer. When it sounded, the red wolf blinked and stared in surprise.

_I was not in love with Ginke._

_But, Taichou, _Renji objected, _you were his mate, weren't you? If you didn't love him, then why? Why would you go with him?_

Byakuya sighed wearily.

_I accepted Ginke as my mate because I had no choice, _he explained, _I did not know, but a long time ago, my father was injured and laid unconscious in Hueco Mundo. He would have died then, but he was rescued and healed by the former leader of this pack, Hisashi. The two fell in love almost at first sight and Hisashi asked my father to be his mate. My father accepted Hisashi's bite and was made into a shinigami/ookami seirei hybrid. The truth is...I was not born of Lady Sorano. She and my father were never together that way. She was his friend and she covered for him, because she knew that if the family found out about my father, he would be disgraced. So, they said that I was born of Soujun and Sorano, but the truth is that I was born of Hisashi and Soujun, and was birthed from my father's own body._

_So, you are one of them, _Renji concluded, _but why does that mean that you had to be his mate?_

_My father was a full shinigami, _the white wolf went on, _To be made Hisashi's mate, he had to be willing. I was born into the pack, and even though it was kept from me, I am subject to their laws. When Hisashi was recently killed, it became the right of any pack leader to claim me. Hisashi asked Ginke to finish him when he was fatally injured, and he made Ginke promise to take me as his mate so that no other could, and to protect me. Over the past weeks, Ginke and I have been performing the clan's mating ritual, to create heirs for the pack and for my clan._

Renji's eyes rounded.

_So, that's why you haven't been yourself? You're pregnant? How is that even possible, when...?_

_We are spirit creatures. Gender is largely a meaningless thing. Upon being taken and filled inside with a leader's seed and reiatsu, we form a chamber to hold the child or children. The more powerful the mating pair, the less pups one will make at a time. I carry only one. But...the mating has not been concluded._

_But what will you do, now that your mate is dead? _Renji asked worriedly, _If you can't...?_

_When you took my mate's life, the reiatsu of the former clan leaders seeped into your body, Renji, _Byakuya reminded him, _You or any pack leader may continue the mating...with my consent._

_B-but you didn't have to give your consent before. Why now?_

_This is to prevent me from being stolen from the clan. If Kurokage wants me now, he must either have my permission or claim rights to me by slaughtering my new chosen mate._

_And you choose...?_

He remembered suddenly the panic he had seen on Byakuya's face when Ginke had bitten him, transforming him. Byakuya shifted suddenly to shinigami form in front of him, dressed in lovely, flowing white nightclothes and glowing as brightly as the crimson moon that ruled the sky, outside the cave. Renji instinctively shifted forms with him.

"You understand now, Renji?" Byakuya said, lowering his eyes and bowing his head, looking more vulnerable than the redhead had ever seen him, "I had no choice but to allow Ginke to claim me, but I could never give him my heart. He claimed me in full knowledge of this, and he made certain that if anything should happen to him, the one I loved would be close by. I wondered if he knew, and that was why he never indicated any jealousy against you. He knew that you were devoted to my safety and that you were my very closest friend...and that if I could have chosen my own mate..."

"You would have chosen _me_?" Renji asked breathlessly.

"I never wanted you to be made over," Byakuya said regretfully, still not meeting his eyes, "I was prepared to remain Ginke's mate. I swear I did not know he would...that he would...do this to you, Renji. I am...sorry."

Renji moved closer, capturing the noble's pale cheek in one hand and glaring heatedly down into Byakuya's widening eyes.

"Yeah? Well, I'm not sorry, Taichou," the redhead said, stunning the noble, "I'm not sorry at all! Yeah, I protect you because I am your fukutaichou, and because we have become friends, but I think we've both known it became more than that a long time ago. We just couldn't say it."

"Renji?"

"Shh," the redhead hissed softly, stopping the words with staying fingers that lightly brushed against the noble's surprised lips, "You had your say. I'm _this _clan's leader now, ne? I get to have mine."

Byakuya's lips tightened rebelliously, but he said nothing more.

"I've never had a feeling in me for you that wasn't passionate," Renji went on, "Even when I hated you for taking Rukia away from me, I hated you with a passion. But the truth is, even when I thought I hated you, I wanted no more than to be like you. If I'd just wanted to beat you, then I could have found someone else to model myself after. But I didn't choose anyone else. I chose the most beautiful and powerful shinigami in the seireitei...no, _in all the worlds_, and that was the guy I wanted to train me. But, being close to you showed me that it wasn't easy for you. As your fukutaichou, I see how hard you train to be as strong as you are. I see everything about you. And the more I see, the more I know that I was just kidding myself."

"Abarai..."

"I'll never be like you...and really, that's okay. I don't want to be you anymore. I just want to be the guy who you love. But, it looks like I've been that for a long time and didn't even know it."

He paused, emitting a soft sound of surprise as Byakuya's hands covered his bigger ones, and the noble's dark eyes entrapped his.

"I confess I have loved you since you put that first scratch on my face," he whispered, "and every day since, I have only learned to love you more. I don't know why I couldn't tell you. I suppose I didn't want there to be awkwardness that might make you want to leave my side if my feelings for you were not returned. But, I see now such fears were foolish. I should have told you a long time ago. And now that you are claiming me and I am accepting you, I will welcome the children you will give me. And if you do love me, I will return that love happily, and in every way I can."

"But how will you explain the baby to your elders?" Renji asked worriedly, "Are you going to tell them...?"

"First things first, Renji," Byakuya said, blushing, "Ginke and I were unable to mate tonight, and the longer it waits, the more discomfort I suffer."

"Oh! Ah..." Renji stammered, his face burning as red as his brightly colored hair, "Y-you mean now?"

"Yes," Byakuya answered, an edge of impatience in his voice.

"O-okay," the redhead replied shakily, "But, ahm...uh...how do we...?

"It is our first mating," Byakuya said, swallowing hard, "We must _be together_ in both forms."

"R-right, both forms, okay. Which one first?"

"Renji, calm yourself. I won't devour you. And you are not the one being penetrated, so why are you so anxious? If anyone should be anxious, it should be me. I've seen you naked before and you're quite a bit bigger than Ginke, so..."

"Whoa!" the redhead huffed dizzily, "This is all going kinda fast."

"Well, the heat is extremely painful if it is not seen to promptly. I am sorry if that bothers you, but it isn't really within my control."

"I can see that," the redhead laughed nervously.

"Perhaps we should take wolf form, as the first mating is always the most, erm, _spirited_," Byakuya suggested.

"Yeah, okay," Renji said, shifting to wolf form as Byakuya did the same.

As he did, the noble's scent drifted teasingly across his senses and Renji whined and followed the scent to its also aroused looking source.

_Oh sweet kami, Taichou! _he thought, closing his eyes and quivering wantonly, _What is that? I feel kinda dizzy. Damn!_

Byakuya gave him a meaningful glare and turned his back, lowering his upper body and leaving his hindquarters slightly raised. Renji moved closer, breathing in the white wolf's attractive scent and honing in on Byakuya's offered bottom. And the closer he moved, the more light-headed and aroused he felt. He barely noticed when Byakuya's head turned suddenly, and the white wolf snapped impatiently at him and snarled warningly. His heart in his throat, Renji lifted himself onto his hind legs and started to mount the slighter wolf. He yelped in surprise as the other wolf turned and crashed into him, rolling him onto his back and setting its teeth in his throat.

_What the hell? _Renji whined, _I thought you wanted me to..._

_Just because I allow you to enter me does not mean that I am weak, _Byakuya reminded him, biting hard enough to draw a trace of blood, then releasing the red wolf and lowering himself again.

_Right, _Renji agreed, approaching more cautiously and moving with Byakuya when he tried to twist away again, _You're as prideful as a wolf as you are as a shingami_.

Renji's jaws clamped down carefully on the back of the white wolf's slender neck, and Byakuya panted furiously and made sounds of mingled pain and relief as the red wolf entered him and began their mating. Nature quickly took over, numbing their minds into an erotic haze and making them unaware of their violent motions and the loud, raucous sounds they were emitting. Outside the cave, the other wolves raised their heads and added excited yips and growls, and some pack mates engaged in their own heated joinings. Mated howls of delight sounded within the cave, then silence fell over the area and the other wolves slowly calmed and settled down again.

Within the cave, the red wolf withdrew from his collapsed mate and flopped lazily onto the white wolf's back, almost purring with delight as he indulgently licked Byakuya's pretty face and cold, wet nose.

_You okay? _he thought, barely able to form the thought, _I kinda lost it there at the end._

_I am fine_, the noble managed sleepily, _But we are not finished._

_Oh, right, _Renji mumbled, shifting with the noble to shinigami form.

Byakuya's hands guided his to the tie at the noble's waist and Renji pulled it free, baring his taichou's lovely body. He wiggled out of his own yukata, smiling as he laid his strong, warm body on top of the slighter man's.

"You're not going to grab me by the throat again, are you?" Renji chuckled anxiously.

"We are no longer in wolf form, so we should not act like it," Byakuya said softly, his amorous eyes freezing Renji in place, "I hope you plan to spend a little more time engaging me this time. I have waited a long time, never knowing if you would ever look at me with those eyes, Renji."

Renji smiled helplessly, capturing Byakuya's handsome face and covering every inch in soft, feathery kisses.

"I'm gonna look at you with these eyes that have always watched you," he promised, "I'm gonna kiss you with this mouth that's been starving for yours, and I'm gonna love you with all of the strength you helped me find in this body!"

Byakuya froze as Renji's hot, red lips crashed heavily into his and his seething red tongue plunged in between the noble's blushing lips. Strong, relentless hands caressed the noble's white flesh, making it flush sweetly as Byakuya's body writhed hungrily against Renji's, and his dark eyes half closed in bliss. Slender, graceful fingertips traced the dark lines on the redhead's skin as he left the noble's mouth and attacked his throat, leaving rosy red marks that trailed down onto his pale breast, where Renji paused to pleasure the pretty pink nubs that rose to meet his plundering tongue and fingers. He moved more slowly over the noble's slim belly, pausing to gently kiss the area under which the heir's reiatsu grew, while Byakuya's fingers threaded into the tossed about strands of his hair and nudged him impatiently, seeking greater pleasures from those marauding lips.

Renji hadn't dared dream of doing any more than stealing glances at what laid beneath Kuchiki Byakuya's expensive clothes. He found it dizzying to not only see, but to touch and caress, to taste and to savor. And as he moved down to the noble's exposed genitalia, he stopped for a moment to meet the noble's smoky eyes.

"With your permission, Taichou," he said softly.

"You don't need my permission, Abarai," Byakuya panted in a flustered tone, "I told you that..."

"We aren't in wolf form, so you're still my Taichou," Renji insisted, "and you are the Kuchiki clan leader. I'm not going to forget that, no matter what happens."

"Ridiculous," Byakuya sighed.

"Huh?"

"You are leader of a pack of ookami seirei," the noble reminded him, "infused with the reiatsu of the noble house, Kumorigake. You should have much greater pride than that!"

"Fuck pride," Renji said belligerently, taking the noble's lips in another powerful kiss and sliding a hand down his slender torso to begin preparing him, "I wouldn't be anything without you. You know that. I'm not going to forget who you are to me...not ever!"

"Renji!" Byakuya gasped, closing his eyes as the redhead positioned himself and began to enter the noble, "O-oh!"

"S-sorry," Renji panted, shutting his eyes tightly and forcing himself to hold still as Byakuya's body recoiled in reaction and the noble made a harsher sound of pain, "I'm trying to be careful."

"I am not going to _break_, you fool!" Byakuya snapped, his eyes blazing and his jaw tightening as he forced his hips upward, loosing a harder cry of pain as their bodies were suddenly joined.

Renji couldn't have held still, at that point, even if he had wanted to. Hardened fingers dug painfully into his shoulders and Byakuya's body reared up against his, threatening to overthrow him. The redhead answered with hard, grinding thrusts and blindingly powerful kisses. Byakuya's sounds of pain gave way to rising moans of ecstasy. His eyes were opened, but slightly and gazed dazedly into Renji's as the redhead's motions grew harsher and more disjointed and the swells of pleasure in their bodies began to crest. Byakuya gave a shuddering cry of surrender and he thrashed helplessly beneath Renji's still undulating form, his release spilling out onto their sweating flesh.

Renji's body went limp and heavy atop the noble's, and his lips smiled as he spotted a rare smile gracing his sated taichou's face as well. He traced Byakuya's contented smile with a trembling fingertip, then sought his lips for a last bout of long, wet kisses.

"So, are you okay now?" the redhead asked, "I didn't hurt you too much or anything?"

"I am fine," Byakuya sighed, "better than fine, actually. I am...quite content."

"Good," Renji sighed, nipping at his lips again, "So...we're going to be doing this a few times a week?"

"Ah..." Byakuya said, blushing furiously, "Ginke did say that the stronger the bond, the more frequent and..._vigorous_, the mating would be."

"Oh my kami," Renji laughed against the noble's sweat-slicked throat, "I wish you'd told me so I could have held back a little!"

Byakuya's dark eyes entranced Renji all over again and his next words made his heart ache sweetly.

"You are _never_ to hold back when we are together, Renji...not when we fight and certainly not when we make love!"


End file.
